Electric heating control panel



3 Sheets-Sheet l H. J. WILLIAMS, JR

ELECTRIC HEATING CONTROL PANEL M @MEME E n @mmnm E INVENTOR HERALD J.w|LL|AMs,JR. BY man QDZMZ ATTORNEYS @nl $107.3@ mlgwow@ mk 3X5 mw March30, 1965 Filed Jan. 17, 1962 g ag 2 lmrin l H @MN .RPMI WHIMVWVMHiminil@ lmw ---llw Q. t. LJET vm, \v ov M m W Mmmm f lm MILE-.. MNHN@@.Mmlnwmwwwwummmw1.4K- @www Nl j a E @E25 Mim m. o .L m mn L E 1 J N :n::u: zu.- i :im: --.www oww\\ n. i

H. J. WILLIAMS, JR

ELECTRIC HEATING CONTROL PANEL March 30, 1965 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 FiledJan. 17, 1962 FIG. 2

ATTORNEYS March 30, 1965 H. J. WILLIAMS, JR

ELECTRIC HEATING CONTROL PANEL 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed Jan. 17, 1962INVENTOR. HERALD J. WILLIAMS,JR.

ATTORNEYS United States Patent O M' 3,176,194 ELECTRIC HEA [NG CON'I'RGLPANEL Herald J. Williams, Jr., Austin, Minn., assigner toAqua- Lectric,Inc., Minneapolis, Minn., a corporation of Minnesota Filed Jan. 17,1962, Ser. No. 166,859 Claims. (Cl. 317-116) This invention relates to amulti-circuit control panel for use with electric heating installationsfor homes and the like.

Although electric heating for homes has been and 1s being usedextensively in recent years, no adequate provision has been made forconveniently supplying power to the heaters and for controlling theheaters. As a result, the installations of electric heating have been 1na rather haphazard manner, making use of equipment adapted primarily forother purposes.

An object of my invention is to provide a new and improved fuse andcontrol panel of simple and inexpensive construction and operation foruse with electric heating systems for homes and the like.

Another object of my invention is to provide a novel multi-circuitcentral control panel employing interchangeable and removable componentsfor activating and controlling any of a plurality of electric heatingunits.

A further object of my invention is to provide an improved and novelcontrol panel facilitating ready and easy connection to the main powersupply lines and also facilitating transforming of the power to a lowvoltage for control purposes.

These and other objects and advantages of my invention will more fullyappear from the following description made in connection with theaccompanying drawings wherein like reference characters refer to thesame or similar parts throughout the several views and in which:

PEG. l is a front elevation view of the invention with the coverremoved;

PIG. 2 is a section view taken approximately at 2-2 in FIG. l;

FIG. 3 is a detail section View taken at 3-3 in FIG. l;

FlG. 4 is a detail view partially in section and partially in elevationshowing a portion of the invention;

FIG. 5 is a detail elevation View of a portion of the invention;

FIG. 6 is a bottom perspective view of one of the detachable components;

FIG. 7 is a bottom perspective view of another of the components; and

FIG. 8 is a schematic circuit diagram of the control panel.

One form of the invention is shown in the drawings and is describedherein.

The electric heating control panel is indicated in general by numeral l0and includes an elongate and rectanguilar shallow housing ll constructedof rigid metal such as steel or the like and having opposite end walls12 provided with knock-out blanks 13 adapted for connecting the housingto the proper fittings for the power supply conductors. The top andbottom walls 14 of the housing are provided with suitable means such asknockout blanks 15 for attaching and bringing in conductors forattachment to the baseboard radiator units and thermostatic controls,respectively.

The housing contains a rigid molded sealed insulating panel lo ofintegral one-piece construction having 3,175,194 Patented Mar. 30, 1955a plurality of forwardly extending divider walls 17 on the front facethereof and intersecting with each other to define a plurality ofcompartments and to particularly define high and low voltage terminalspaces 18 and 19 respectively. The walls also deiine power supplyterminal spaces 2t) and control component mounting spaces 2l and 22respectively. The upstanding Walls 17 also deiine at opposite ends ofthe panel, spaces 23 for purposes hereinafter more fully defined.

The panel l5 has a pair of elongate high voltage bus bars or power'buses 24 and 25 embedded and confined therein and extending beneath thespaces 21 and 23. Another bus bar 26 for the neutral of a single phasethree-wire power connection is embedded in a panel 16 beneath the spaces18 and 20. A plurality of conductors l or bus bars 27 are embedded inthe insulating panel 16 and extend transversely with respect to the bars24 and 25 and in spaced relation therewith so as to be insulatedtherefrom.

The panel l5 also has a pair of elongate low voltage bus bars orconductors 28 and 29 extending longitudinally of the panel and generallybeneath the spaces 22 and Before considering the details of the panel 16and the attachments therefor, it will be noted in FIG. 8 the generalschematic of the circuitry is shown. In the form shown, power issupplied for the bus bars 24, 25 and 26 at the terminals T1, T2 and T3respectively from a threewire single phase source. From terminals T1,T2, power is supplied through removable fuses 36 and 31 to the bus bars24 and 25 to any or all of the individual baseboard heater circuitswhich are encased within the several dotted line boxes indicated byletters A. The bus bars 24 and 25 also supply power to a step-downtransformer T for supplying low voltage power at approximately 28 voltsto the bus bars 28 and 29.

Each of the baseboard radiator control circuits A has current overloadprotective devices specifically comprising a pair of removable fuses 32and 33 which are respectively connected to the bus bars 24 and 25. Poweris supplied directly from fuse 32 to a power terminal 34. From fuse 33power is supplied to the terminal 35 through the power switch contacts36 which are controlled by relay coil 37. It will be seen that a loadsuch as the resistance heater H of an electric baseboard radiator isconnected across the power terminals 34 and 35. One side of relay coil37 is supplied with power from the low voltage bus 23 and the other sideof the relay coil 37 is connected with a terminal 38. The low voltagebus 29 is connected to another terminal 39. It will be seen that a lowvoltage control switch S, which is preferably thermostatically operatedis connected between the terminals 33 and 39 for controlling operationof the relay coil 37. When the thermostatically operated switch isclosed, the relay coil is energized to close the contacts 36 and causepower to be supplied to the resistance heater H; and conversely when thethermostatically operated switch S is opened the contacts 36 are open toremove power from the electric resistence heater H.

With further reference to the construction of the control panel 16, itwill be seen that the panel has a plurality of prong-receiving socketholes lil and 41 respectively disposed in rows along the intermediateportions or" bus bars 24 and 25 respectively. Each of the holes 40 isdisposed opposite a corresponding hole 41. The bus bars 24 and 25 have aplurality of panel terminal projections 42 and 43 extending transverselyof the correarranca spending bus bars at each of the socket holes ditand il respectively and disposed within the socket holes itl and dl.Adjacent each pair of socket holes il? and il is a pair of exposedstationary slide contacts i4 and 45 projecting upwardly from the frontface of the panel io and lying against the adjacent compartment-deiiningwalls ll. It will be seen that the contact id is formed integrally of aconductor or bar sie which is embedded in the panel llo and is connectedwith the terminal 3d. The terminal 34 will be seen to be provided. witha suitable wire-clamping screw 34a.

The stationary slide contact 45 is formed integrally with a conductorportion 47 which is embedded in the panel lti.

Interfittable with the socket holes tu and il are a `plurality offuse-carrying blocks i3 which carry the fuses 32 and 33 inconventionally threaded receptacles 43. The blocks 48 carry'a pair ofprongs 5t? and 5l which are respectively received in the socket holes 40and ill and lie in engagement with the terminal projections 42 and i3therein. The inner ends S2 of prongs 5h and Si are arranged for engagingthe central conductor of fuses 32. and 33. The mounting receptacles i3are connected by a conductor screw 53 to a spring terminal contact 5dcontained within a recess 55 of the block 48 and positioned for slidablyengaging one of the stationary contacts 44 or 45. It will be seen thatthe stationary spring contacts t-- and 45 have detents 44a and 45aformed therein for retaining the spring terminal contacts 54 againstsliding movement and thereby hold the fuse block 48 to main- 1 tain theprongs i? and 5l in proper position in the socket holes d() and 4l.

It will be noted that the panel 1d has a plurality of prong-receivingsocket'holes 56 and 57 in the space or compartment 22 and also hassocket holes 58 therein. lt will be noted that the sockets 56, 57 and 53are arranged in rows extending longitudinally of panel 16 and are eachvalso arranged, together with corresponding socket holes itl and il andterminals 34, 35, 38 and 39, and contacts ltand 45 and the conductorbars associated therewith, in lines extending transversely of all orsaid rows. Each of the embedded conductor portions 47' of contacts 45has a terminal projection 59 disposed in the corresponding socket hole56', and the socket hole 57 has a terminal projection 60 exposed thereinwhich extends transversely and is formed integrally with the bus bar Z7.Between the prong-receiving socket holes 56 and 57 is an indexing recess6l in the front face of the panel. The prongreceiving hole 53 has a pairof contacts or terminals 62 and 63 exposed therein. The contact 62 isformed integrally with the bus bar 28. The contact 63 has a conductorportion 64 embedded in the insulating panel 16 and connected to theexposed terminal 33. The terminal 39 is connected directly to the busbar 29.

The prong-receiving socket holes 56, 57 and 5S mount plug-in relayblocks 65, each of which has a pair of conductor prongs 66 and 67 whichare normally seated in the corresponding socket holes 56 and 57 inengagement with the exposed terminal projections 59 and ed. The relayblocks 65 has low voltage spring-type prongs 68 which extend into thesocket hoie 53 and respectively engage the contacts 62 and 63 thereinfor supplying loW voltage to the coil 37 which is confined Within therelay block 65 for operating relay Contact 36. It will be understoodthat the relay coil and contacts 37 and 36 respectively are ofsubstantially conventional construction confined within theblock 65. Therelay block 65 has an indexing projection e9 on its bottom surface forreception in the recess el.

At opposite ends of the panel 16, power supply bus bars itl and 7l areembedded in the panel i6 adjacent the terminals T1 and T2 for supplyinghigh voltage power to the bus bars 24.1 and 25. The bars 'lil and 7l,although embedded adjacent the bus bars 2d and 25 are maintained theprimary winding of the transformer.

in spaced relation therewith and terminate adjacent a irst pair ofprong-receiving socket holes 72 and 73 respectively wherein terminalprojections formed integrally with the bars 7@ and 7l are exposed. Asecond pair of prongreceiving socket holes 74 and 75 are exposed at theends of bars Zd and Z5 respective, and the bars 24 and 25 have terminalprojections '76 and 77 respectively exposed in the socket holes 74 and75. lt will be noted that at opposite ends of the panel lo the socketholes 72, 73, 74 and 75 are oriented in predetermined and identicalrelation with other.

Each or the terminals T1, T2 and T3 has a wire-receiving sleeve 78 whichis removably secured by means of a screw 79 to the correspondingembedded bus bar. A shallow recess 3@ is provided in the surface of thepanel le to expose the corresponding bus bar. The upper side of thewire-receiving sleeve 73 is provided with a large set screw Si forholding a conductor wire in the terminal sleeve 73. The set screw 8l isof suiicient size as to permit insertion of a screw driver through theset screw-receiving hole 82 in the sleeve 78 so that when the set screwis removed, a screw driver may be inserted through the hole fortightening or loosening the screw 79. It will be seen therefore that theterminals T1, T2 and T3 may be mounted at either end of the panel 16 andsecured to the appropriate bus bars 26, 70 and 7l.

At the end whereon the terminals T1, T2 and T3 are mounted, a fuse block83 is mounted with the conductor prongs 34 and 35 seated in the socketholes 74 and 75 and the conductor prongs 36 and S7 are seated in thesocket holes 72 and 73. The several prongs 85-37 of the fuse block 83form portions of the spring-type fuse clamps 83 as seen in FIG. 3. Itwill be seen that because of the symmetrical arrangement of the socketholes and prongs, the fuse block 83 may be turned end for end andplugged in without changing the nature of the circuit. ln any event, thepower is supplied from the terminal T1 to the bus bar 2S and fromterminal T2 to the bus bar 24.

At the end of the panel 16 opposite to the fuse block 33 the transformerT is mounted with the contact prongs S9 and @il being seated in thesocketV holes 75 and 74 respectively so as to supply power from the busbars to The transformer also has prongs 91 and 92 which are seated inthe socket holes 93 and 94 respectively wherein terminal projections ofbus bars 29 and 28` are respectively exposedso as to supply the lowvoltage power to the bus bars 28 and 29 for energizing the relay coils37.

In installing and connecting the control apparatus ll@ with thebaseboard heaters H and thermostatic switches S, the conductors from thethree-wire single phase power source are brought into the housing 13 atwhichever end is most convenient and the terminals T1, T2 and T3 aresecured to the corresponding end of the panel 16. The fuse block 83 isthen plugged into the socket holes immediately adjacent the terminalsT1, T2 and T3 so as to rsupply power to the bus bars 24 and 2S.'Ihetransforrner 1 1s plugged into the opposite ends of these bus barsvso as to supply low Voltage power to the bus bars 28 and .29. Each pairof terminals 34 and 35, and the correspondmg neutral terminal 26a whichis connected to the bus bar 2e, are connected to the appropriateconductors for one of the baseboard resistent heaters H. The conductorsfor the corresponding thermostatic switch S are connected to the pair ofterminals 38 and 39 which are vertically aligned with the powerterminals 34 and 35. The fuse block 48 is then supplied with the properfuses 32 and 33 and is plugged into sockets i0 `and il and similarly thefuse block 65 is plugged into the socket holes 5d, 57 and 5S. Theparticular circuit `is then completely wired for operation. It will beunderstood that up to eight dif- .ferent circuits may be accommodated inthe panel 16 and be individually controlled. The entire fabrication ofthe control apparatus lll is accomplished during manufacturing with theexception of attaching the appropriate power load and control conductorsto thev terminals. The bus bars are all in xed relation with each otherand with the panel and the high voltage conductors are completely connedwhen the fuse blocks 48 are removed. In certain installations it may bedesirable to bring the power supply conductors into the housing 11 atthe right hand end and at other instances it may be desirable that thepower conductors be brought in at the left hand end and in either case,the conductors are attached to the panel at the corresponding end. Byinterchanging the terminals T1, T2 and T3 to the appropriate end of thepanel 16 and by plugging in the fuse block 83 and the transformer T atthe appropriate positions, the panel is immediately and conveniently setup for immediate operation with no wiring of the panel being necessary.

In the event that any of the relays should fail in operation, the faultyrelay need merely be removed and replaced with a new one.

It will, of course, be understood that various changes may be made inthe form, details, arrangement and proportions of the various partswithout departing from the scope of my invention.

What I claim is:

l. Control apparatus for electric baseboard radiator units and the like,comprising a sealed insulated panel having a bottom surface and alsohaving a top surface with a plurality of prong-receiving socket holesarranged in a plurality of lines and rows extending transverselythereof, a plurality of pairs of terminals arranged parallel to one ofsaid rows, a plurality lof conductor bars embedded in said panel andextending along said lines and rows at varying distances from said topand bottom surfaces, a plurality of terminal projections in said holesand each of the projections being connected to a respective conductorbar, a plurality of current overload protective device blocks and relayblocks arranged in respective rows and having prongs removably seated insaid holes and engaging the terminal projections therein, each of saidprotective device blocks and a respective relay block being disposed inone of said lines, means on the panel supplying power to the bars alongthe row of protective device blocks, said protective device blockshavingcurrent overload protective devices, and said relay blocks havingrelay power contacts cooperating with said protective devices and barsalong said lines for supplying power to said pairs of terminals.

2. Control apparatus for electric baseboard radiators and the like,comprising an elongate housing having means providing access for wiringat opposite ends thereof, an elongate sealed insulating terminal panelin the housing and having opposite ends, a pair of parallel and spacedconductor bars embedded in the panel and extending longitudinallythereof, and having opposite ends disposed adjacent the ends of thepanel, the bars having intermediate portions with transversely extendingterminal projections thereon, the panel having prong-receiving socketholes adjoining each of said projections, prongcarrying plug-inconductor apparatus removably mounted in said socket holes, ay pluralityof pairs of terminals on the panel for connection with lan electricbaseboard radiator, circuit means connected to and mounted on the panelfor connecting said conductor, apparatus with said terminals and saidcircuit means including a relay with a low voltage coil, each end of thepanel having a first pair of socket holes each disposed adjacent arespective conductor bar and also having `a second pair of socket holes,a pair of electric buses embedded in the panel and having terminalprojections exposed in said first pair of socket holes, means forsupplying electric power to said buses, said conductor bars havingterminal projections exposed in said second pair of socket holes, saidlirst and second pairs of socket holes being identically arranged ateach end of the panel, a fuse holder block at one end of the panel andhaving rst and second pairs of conduc-tor prongs respectively receivedin said first and second pairs of socket holes and engaging the ter'-minal projections therein, a pair of fuses each connecting one prong ofeach pair together, and .a power transformer at the other end of saidpanel and having a first pair of conductor prongs received in the iirstsocket holes at the corresponding end of the panel for supplying powerto the primary windings of the transformer, means connecting thesecondary winding of the transformer to the low voltage coil of therelay, said fuse block and transformer being interchangeable withrespect to each other at opposite ends of the panel.

3. An electric control apparatus for electric baseboard radiators andthe like, comprising a molded insulating panel with high voltagepower-carrying .buses embedded therein, said panel and busescooperatively defining power take-off sockets, certain of said bus barsand sockets being oriented along rows and other of said bus barsoriented along lines extending transversely of the rows, plug-inapparatus connected to the panel sockets for cooperating with said busesin defining power supply circuits, each of said circuits includingoverload fuses and a control relay, additional plug-in apparatusinterchangeably positionable on the panel, said additional plug-inapparatus including overload fusing means applying power to the bus barsand also including voltage transforming means connected to said controlrelays, and said panel also including interchangeable means at oppositeends of the panel for attaching power supply conductors thereto.

4. A control apparatus for electric baseboard radiators and the like,comprising an insulating molded panel of unitary one-piece constructionhaving a front face with a plurality or" upstanding divider wallsprojecting therefrom and formed integrally therewith, said divider wallsdelining on opposite sides thereof high and low voltage power supplyportions of the panel, said panel having high and low voltage bus barsembedded therein and extending along rows parallel to said walls andalong lines extending transversely of said rows, said panel and bus barshaving socket means defining plug-in sockets, current overloadprotecting and switching control plug-in apparatus cooperating with saidembedded buses delining individual power circuits, the .buses extendingalong said rows being spaced from the front face differently than thebuses extending along said lines, said Walls defining high and lowvoltage terminal spaces adjacent opposite edges of the panel, and aplurality of pairs of high and low voltage terminals connected withrespec-tive circuits and disposed in said spaces to be maintained insegregated relation with each other.

5. Control apparatus for electrical space heaters controlled bythermostats, comprising an upright panel having line voltage busesthereon and control voltage buses thereon and also having meanssupplying power from said line voltage buses at reduced voltage to saidcontrol voltage buses, a plurality of line voltage fusing devicesdisposed in a iirst row on the panel, a plurality of line voltageswitching relays disposed in a second row on the panel and in juxtaposedrelation with said rst row, said relays having low vol-tage operatingmeans, said panel and said fusing devices and said switching relayshaving cooperatively intertting plug and socket connector partsremovably mounting each of the fusing devices and a corresponding relayon the panel in alignment with each other and transversely of said rows,line voltage output wire terminal means and control voltage wireterminal means on the panel and respectively disposed on opposite sidesof and in line with each of said aligned fusing devices and relays,means extending transversely of said rows and connecting said connectorparts on the panel with said corresponding line and control voltagebuses and with said wire terminal means and effecting `fusing andswitching of the .power supplied from the line voltage buses to the linevoltage wire terminal means.

(References on following page) fg 8 References Cied bythe libraminler` YOTHER REFERENCES UNITED STATES PATENTS Remote-Control Wi'ring Systems,General Electric 1,063,265 6/13 Joleen m SIF/*99 Pubhcatlon; Page 23Te'lled uPOI!- I 2,524,004 9/50 Wallace et a1. 317-119 JOHN F BURNS,Pfmwfy Exammer.

2,986,676 5 51 Edmunds 317-119 E. JAMES SAX, Examiner.

1. CONTROL APPARATUS FOR ELECTRIC BASEBOARD RADIATOR UNITS AND THE LIKE,COMPRISING A SEALED INSULATED PANEL HAVING A BOTTOM SURFACE AND ALSOHAVING A TOP SURFACE WITH A PLURALITY OF PRONG-RECEIVING SOCKETS HOLESARRANGED IN A PLURALITY OF LINES AND ROWS EXTENDING TRANSVERSELYTHEREOF, A PLURALITY OF PAIRS OF TERMINALS ARRANGED PARALLEL TO ONE OFSAID ROWS, A PLURALITY OF CONDUCTOR BARS EMBEDDED IN SAID PANEL ANDEXTENDING ALONG SAID LINES AND ROWS AT VARYING DISTANCES FROM SAID TOPAND BOTTOM SURFACES, A PLURALITY OF TERMINAL PROJECTIONS IN SAID HOLESAND EACH OF THE PROJECTIONS BEING CONNECTED TO A RESPECTIVE CONDUCTORBAR, A PLURALITY OF CURRENT OVERLOAD PROTECTIVE DEVICE BLOCKS AND RELAYBLOCKS ARRANGED IN RESPECTIVE ROWS AND HAVING PRONGS REMOVABLY SEATED INSAID HOLES AND ENGAGING THE TERMINAL PROJECTIONS THEREIN, EACH OF SAIDPROTECTIVE DEVICE BLOCKS AND A RESPECTIVE RELAY BLOCK BEING DISPOSED INONE OF SAID LINES, MEANS ON THE PANEL SUPPLYING POWER TO THE BARS ALONGTHE ROW OF PROTECTIVE DEVICE BLOCKS, SAID PROTECTIVE DEVICE BLOCKSHAVING CURRENT OVERLOAD PROTECTIVE DEVICES, AND SAID RELAY BLOCKS HAVINGRELAY POWER CONTACTS COOPERATING WITH SAID PROTECTIVE DEVICES AND BARSALONG SAID LINES FOR SUPPLYING POWER TO SAID PAIRS OF TERMINALS.